Car-coupling.



J. STANKUS.

GAR COUPLING. urmcuzon FILED JULY a0. 1908.

/ 918,792. Patented Apr. 20, 1909.

JOHN sriinirus, OF ONONDAGA, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAB-COUPLING.

No. 918,792. g

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN STANKUs,a citizen of the United States, residing'at Onondaga, in the countyof Jefferson and State of- Pennsylvania, haveinvented a" nw and use ful Car-Coupler, of which the following is a specification.

The objectsof the invention-are the provision in a merchantable form of a deviceof the above named class which shall beinexpensive in construction, facile inoperation, and devoid of complicatedparts; the provision of a coupler which after each act of uncoupling has been completed will remain in position operativev to effect the coupling without manual manipulation.

lWith these and other objects in view as will hereinafter more fully'appear the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts, hereinafterfully de-' Similar numerals of reference'are. em

ployed to indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the raw- In the accompanying drawings :Figure 1 shows in perspective my invention attached to a car, and Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of my invention. 7

In carrying out my invention, I rovide a link 2, having its upper surfaces at ffoth ends downwardly inclined, the sides of the link 2 at the ends being beveled inward, the said link being adapted to register closely, both terminally and laterally with an. opening 16 in the housing 1. In the upper surface of the link 2 are transversely disposed notches 8, adapted to receive the shoulder 9 of the catch 3. I further provide a housing 1 which may be of any form, preferably, however, it is rectangular in transverse section. From the upper surface of the housing 1 rise the shoulders 12, adapted to receive the pintle 11, by which the catch 3 is held in place. In the top of the housing between the shoulders 12 is pivoted a catch 3, upon a pintle 11, the pintle 11 carrying the bearing lOformed integral with the catch 3. From the under surface of the catch 3 projects downwardly Specification of Letters Patent.

" Patented April 20, 1909.

Application filed July. so, 1908.. SeriaLNo. 446,148.

the shoulder 9 adapted to register closely with the slot 8 in the link 2 when the catch 3 is in closed osition.- From the upper surface of the ousing 1 at its outer end rises transversely disposed the shoulder 4, and when thecatch 3 is inthe closed position, the movable end of the catch 3 rests within the said shoulder 4 and is flush-with the u per surface of the shoulder 4. The end 0 the shoulder 9 of thecatch 3 is beveled so that said catch 3 may be readily raised upon the introduction into the housing 1 of the link 2.

Within the housing 1 is-mounted the link stop .6, which maybe formed integral with the housing 1.- The forwardface 5 of the link stop 6 conforms to the end of the link 2, and the upper surface 7 of the said link stop is flush with the upper surface of the housing. The link stop extends rearward beneath the bearing 10 and is rounded to conform to the periphery ofthe said bearing.

'A' simple lever mechanism 13 adaptedto raise the catch 3 may be attached to the end 14 of the can-the operating lever 15 of the said mechanism extending outward beyond the tracks that my invention may be operated without necessitating the entrance of the 'brakema-n between the cars.

When the coupler is in a locked or closed osition, as shown in solid 'line in Fig. 2, it will be seen that -the end of the link 2 bears against the forward face-5 of the link stop and that thecatch 3-is-supported by the upper surface 7 of the link stop and the upper surface of the housing 1, within the shoulder 4 and terminally protected thereby. Likewise, the shoulder 9 of the catch 3 conforms closely to the slot 8 in the link 2.

By the construction heretofore pointed out, a coupling of solid and substantial make up is effected, the various component parts being compactly disposed from the mouth 16 of the housing to the rear of the catch 3.

When the catch 3 is rotated upon the pintle 11 into an uprightposition, it will there be retained against further rearward movement by the contact between the catch 3 and the portion 18 of the housing 1, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2.

It will be noticed that the upper surface 7 of the link stop is flush with the upper surface of the housing 1, and that this construction furnishes a broad, firm base against which the catch 3 will rest when in a closed position.

When the catch 3 is in the closed position shown in solid line in Fig. 2, no part of the catch 3 projects beyond the contour of the housing 1. The movable end of the catch 3 is protected by the shoulder 4 and the bearing 10 and the pivotal connection by the shoulders 12; to a line end, the rearward terminal 17 of the link stop 6 extends beneath the shoulder 10 and upward along its forward face. A moving obstacle passing over the top of the housing 1, will meet no projecting part of the catch 3 against which it can impinge and thus raise the catch 3 and effect an unwonted uncoupling, or injure the catch 3 or any of its parts. The shape and position of the link stop 6 and its rear terminal 17 protects the bearing 10 from injury by the movement of the pin 2 and likewise obviates the possibility of the catch 3 being raised by the introduction and with. drawal of the beveled end of the pin 2 be.- neath the bearing 10,. The upper surface of the housing is brought into close relation with the bearing 10, as shown at 18, protecting the said bearing and furnishing a fule crum to hold the catch 3 in an upright position, as heretofore described.

In operation, when it is desired to effect the coupling, the catch 3 may be in the horizontal position shown in Fig. 2 in solid line, or it may be in the vertical position indicated by the dotted line. If the catch 3 is in the horizontal position, the beveled link entering the housing Wil raise the catch and the shoulder 9 will drop into the slot 8. If, however, the catch :5 should have been left standing n he v r i al posi on, t e ja incident to the coupling will cause the said catch 3 to fall downward into a locking positiOn. When it is desired to uncouple the ars, th v r me h n m .3 may e 0p lat d nd the. c h 3. ra sedhe ca 3 m y then be hrown a kwa d in th r cal position above described, or it maybeallowed to fall downward into the horizontal position, and in either position my invention is operative to eifect a coupling by the introduction into the housing of the pin 2.

What is claimed is 1. In a device of the class described, a housing having upstanding shoulders; a catch having a bearing journaled for rotation between the shoulders and flush therewith; a link stop mounted in the housing and integral therewith, the said. link stop being disposed at the front of and beneath the hearing in close relation therewith, and being cut away to receive the said bearing.

2. In a device of the class described, a housing; a beveled link adapted to be received terminally by the housing and to register closely both terminally and peripherally therein, the said link having a transversely disposed notch in its upper face; a link stop having its forward face conforming to the terminal of the link, its upper surface being flush with the upper surface of the housing; a catch pivoted 1n the housing and being provided with a protruding shoulder arranged to register closely in the transverse notch in the link, the said catch being arranged to rest upon the upper surface of the link stop and the upper surface of the housing, the shoulder of the catch being arranged to engage the notch in the link, and the terminal of the link being arranged to contact with the forward face of the link stop, when the catch is in closed position.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, 1 have hereto a'llixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN STANKUS.

Witnesses 2 JAS. M. WALKER, G. E. PREINKERT. 

